“I should hold out, right? [It will] never happen,” Cruz said, via the Star-Ledger. “Because if I’m going to do that I might as well do it in the beginning of the season, and not wait when I’m doing so well, and just hold out. I want to continue to help my team win. The team’s going to panic if I hold out. That’s not me. I just want to go out and play football and continue to be myself.”

Cruz certainly deserves to make more than his $540,000 salary, which is the league minimum for third-year players. But he says he couldn’t disrupt the locker room by leaving now.

“The team’s going to panic if I hold out. That’s not me. I just want to go out and play football and continue to be myself,” Cruz said.

If the Giants and Cruz don’t get a deal done this year, a contract dispute may arise in the offseason, when he’ll be a restricted free agent. But that’s a future concern. This year, Cruz is committed to the Giants.

As a fan of the game that hates the hearing about the contract battles in the media, this is great to hear. . . BUT his agent is stupid for allowing him to say this. Yes, the fans and team will like hearing it. Yes, it may help earn some good-will during the haggling that is coming up amongst the two parties. Yes, the Giants brass will like going in with the idea that they aren’t dealing with another Osi

. But his agent is allowing him to throw away one of his bargaining chips. Though the Giants may have told him… “you want to hold-out, fine”, it is still a bargaining chip. In negotiations, you want to have all the chips at the table. You don’t just throw some away.

Again, Cruz may think he’s making good will with the fans. But here is another example of an agent/attorney not thoroughly getting his point across and or understanding his or her job. That is to do everything in his/her power to provide the best interests of the client.

Here is an example… in a divorce settlement, you wouldn’t just tell the other party you are not going to go after her car. You compromise and get something in return. I won’t go after your car IF you won’t go after my car.

All players need to practice this line for anytime they’re asked about their contract/holdouts/etc….
“I’m here to do my job, please direct those type of questions to my attorney/agent and the general manager”.

The dude’s a player, let’s not test his commitment to the team. Pay the man, he’s done some very good things for us. He’s humble, doesn’t say stupid things, is open when EliteI needs him to be and is popular with fans while giving the team some personality. Don’t let this one get away. Go Blue!!

I hear everyone saying, “Yes. Finally, it is good to hear about a player doing the right thing.”

What if he gets hurt. This will be the Giants’ chance to lowball him with a $5M a year long term deal, which is essentially a one year deal since it contains a low bonus.

All is good until he gets hurt. Of all the sports, the NFL should have guaranteed contracts, or at least 60-80% guaranteed for many reasons including it is the most dangerous with a higher chance of injury. They get better deals in baseball, and basketball and those are fully guaranteed.

I hope he doesn’t get hurt and miss out on his chance, but if he does, I hoipe the lions give him the same or similar deal.

I do agree that victor is a classy guy and underpaid compared to other receivers. But I won’t agree that the Mara family is classy. The skins safety situation is a direct result of Mara. And the main reason why madieu Williams was In there when Eli flag footballed him ftw

Cruz is right. The time to make that statement/sit out is before the season. What if they HAD paid him after his one phenomenal year and he had a crap year this year? The NYG would be getting criticized for paying him X in bonus money in his new deal before he proved he wasn’t a one hit wonder.

I agree that the Mara’s do everything right.. ALMOST. Don’t forget, they PROMISED no PSL when they first talked about a new stadium, but then went back on their word. Also, how come no one ever talks about the new stadium getting TWO PSL’s, one from the Giants fans and another from the Jets fans, for the same seats.

He is a large part of the Giants team but only one of the parts they have WR they do not even dress for games that would be #1 on other teams.

If the Giants did not invite him to camp a few years ago who would have? 31 other teams missed the bus on this one.

The Giants will take care of him when the time is right for now he is living with the deal he signed when the Giants took a shot with him.
Lets no forget all the extra money he made all off season being a fan fav and Super Bowl Champion.
It would a safe guess that he is #2 in jersey sales on the team.

While another team might pay better he would not have the fame and fortune that goes with being famous in NYC.

All of you who say he should hold out and do this and do that are the same that complain about ticket prices and beer cost at a game.

Giants fans trust that the Mara’s will do what is best for the team and the fans.

cliverush says:
Oct 25, 2012 11:22 AM
Top teams like the Giants reward those who deserve the money. Cruz will get his and probable knows this. He is a life long fan of the team and as such is aware of the integrity of the Mara Family.

cliverush says:
Oct 25, 2012 11:22 AM
Top teams like the Giants reward those who deserve the money. Cruz will get his and probable knows this. He is a life long fan of the team and as such is aware of the integrity of the Mara Family.

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Love Victor Cruz to death as a diehard fan, but get your facts straight sadly the man grew up a diehard Cowboy’s fan and not a Giants fan

cliverush says:
Oct 25, 2012 11:22 AM
Top teams like the Giants reward those who deserve the money. Cruz will get his and probable knows this. He is a life long fan of the team and as such is aware of the integrity of the Mara Family.

im not so sure the team would panic as much as the media and fans would eli can produce 100 cruz’z in my opinion hes turn lesser recievers into starts (steve smith, toomer, barden, hixon, ballard, boss, pascoe..ect) but as a giants fan id miss him on the field salsaing every weekend.. but the most important guy on the field for big blue every week is number 10 until he retires..

This is the stupidest thing ever. Nobody holds out mid-season, because they’re having a nice year. He’ll get paid. Ppl in the tri-state area go gaga for this guy. I see more Cruz jerseys than anything else.

Also, he’s made a nice chunk of endorsement money on top of his 550K from the Gints. Chunky soup, anyone?

Giants’ fan here who thinks Cruz is crazy for not telling Mara that he’s keeping his salsa dances locked up until he gets paid. One blown knee against the Cowboys this weekend (fingers crossed!) and his family will never see the outside of that hole Paterson (one “T” people, not two!). He’s got a $20M signing bonus waiting for him at the end of the 2012 tunnel. That’s enough to set his entire family up for life. All he had to do this year was prove last year wasn’t a fluke. With nearly half this season over, he has proved that. My advice to him would be to SIT until that money is wired. Not cool of Mara to make Cruz risk his entire families’ livelihood. This coming from a Giants’ fan that would NOT want Cruz to sit. However, he has to be a smart business man also.

Cruz’s attitude is a reflection of the Gaints organization. Eli has proven he can get the best out of previously unknown pass recievers. Cruz realizes he is in a great postion and he will be well paid.
You certianly never heard this from Chad Johnson, TO or even Keyshon Johnson is his day. Besides, a contract is a contract, He agreed to his current contract and was glad to get at the time.

The Mara family will take care of business,like they allways do,we should be thankfull that they have the brains to give Victor a chance,sign him,and as a result they have the best deep ball combination in all the NFL,just look at Eli’s yards per attempt,it is the best in the league.Cruz and Eli are a secondarys worst nightmare.

As someone who has negotiated 8 figure contracts for the last 10 years, Cruz’s statement sounds like a PR move to me at the behest of his agent. The public is now on Cruz’s side as he is painted as a simple underpaid player who is “all class”. Now the ball is in Mara’s court to “do the right thing” for such a classy young fellow. If Mara doesn’t give him a fair market contract, the public and media will turn on Mara/ the Giants. Either this will turn into a very public and ugly negotiation complete with Cruz saying he was forced into holding out, a trade, or a very quiet and quick negotiation with Mara telling Cruz to fill out the check.

I couldn’t agree with jessthegreat’s comments above…I cannot believe his agent let him say that! I like to see a guy like cruz think of the fans and the team, but there comes a time in life when you need to be selfish…je is one injury away from giving up millions..